Once the largest terminal lake in Central Asia, the Aral Sea is fed by its tributaries, the Syr Darya and the Amu Darya. It has suffered from a significant reduction of water inflow during the last two decades. Consequently, the water retreated from large portions of the former sea’s surface, forming a dessert called Aralkum. The diffusion of dust and sand particles in the area may threaten human health and agricultural productivity. Also, concerns about impacts to the regional hydrological cycle through the increase of aerosols in the atmosphere have been raised.